WannaCry attack is good business for cyber security firms

Increasingly serious cyber security problems are partly an inevitable consequence of the growing complexity of digital technology. — Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: For Kris Hagerman, chief executive of Britain-based cyber security firm Sophos Group Plc, the past week could have been bad. The WannaCry "ransomware" attack hobbled some of its hospital customers in Britain's National Health Service, forcing them to turn away ambulances and cancel surgeries.

The company quickly removed a boast on its website that “The NHS is totally protected with Sophos”. In many industries, that sort of stumble would likely hit a company's reputation hard.